Abstract

This is the final report of the PERFECT project funded under the European Commission (EC)'s Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The aim of the project was to develop and build predictive tools for quantifying the effects of neutron irradiation damage on reactor pressure vessels and internal structures. In particular, the project focused on the development of predictive tools to model the fracture toughness versus temperature dependence of irradiated RPV steels and also, as a first attempt, development of tools to predict the irradiation hardening, plastic flow channelling, void swelling and IASCC sensitivity of Internals components. The report reveals that the main output of the project were multi-scale numerical modelling tools capable of simulating the effects of neutron irradiation on the mechanical, fracture and corrosion properties of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and internal structures in PWR, BWR and WWER reactors with different degrees of accuracy and uncertainty in their application according to the available state of knowledge of the underlying mechanisms.